Methoxypropyl acetate

Medium-volatility solvent with a mild odour. Does not contain any hydroxyl groups, and has good solvent power for numerous resins and dyes. Its main applications are in the coatings and printing inks, where it can replace ethoxyethyl acetate in many cases.

Contacts

Methoxypropyl acetate is a clear, slightly hygroscopic liquid with a mild odour. It is freely miscible with most common organic solvents, but has only limited miscibility with water. By virtue of its ether and ester groups, methoxypropyl acetate enters into reactions that are characteristic of ethers and esters and display their solvent power. For instance, it dissolves numerous natural and synthetic resins, waxes, fats and oils. Since methoxypropyl acetate may react with the oxygen in the air to form peroxides, BASF supplies it inhibited with 2.6-di-tert-butyl-para-cresol (butylated hydroxytoluene – BHT). Selected applications of methoxypropyl acetate are presented below.

Coatings Industry

By virtue of its good solvent power for numerous resins and dyes, methoxypropyl acetate can be used as a solvent, flow improver and coalescent in coatings. It is particularly suitable for coatings containing polyisocyanates. In this case, it is important that the peroxide fraction is as small as possible, as otherwise the colour of the final product may change. It is for this reason that we stabilize our solvent with 2,6-di-t-butyl-p-cresol (BHT).

Other applications for methoxypropyl acetate include

•  flexographic, gravure and screen printing inks
• adhesives
• ball pen pastes
• dyes in furniture polishes or wood stains
• dye solutions and pastes for printing and colouring leather and textiles. Yet another application for methoxypropyl acetate is as a binder for core sands in foundries.